People who are intrigued by celestial bodies, are certainly enjoying unique astronomical phenomena during this week. A bright full moon will mark the beginning of the autumn season in Greece, which however seems to still be enjoying high temperatures as a country. Those of you who are into sky observation in general, maybe were lucky enough to notice yesterday -Wednesday the 18^th of September- the moon’s full ascension just after sunset. When the full moon is near the equinox, it is known as Harvest Moon. The beautiful September full moon acquires its name from farmers who managed to gather their crops a lot faster as they worked through the night in the aid of the moon’s brighter glow. The harvest moon is so bright that one can see from afar the black dots on its surface with a naked eye.

Tonight, September 19^th, will be an even more magical and special evening due to the fact that the seventh planet from the Sun, Uranus, will be visually observed a lot closer to the moon than usual. The green giant planet will be the moon’s pair for tonight, so take your binoculars and search for a small green – bluish disk in the vastness of the sky. And if you are wondering where planet Uranus takes its odd colour from, then the scientific explanation to clarify this, is, from the absorption of red light by methane in the atmosphere which gives it an indigo-blue colour in return.

Choose a dark spot away from the city lights and enjoy tonight’s special full moon. It is an opportunity to welcome autumn in a spectacular way. Also, do not forget that on Sunday the 22^nd of September we have the autumn equinox when the day is divided into two equal halves!

Wherever you are tonight, enjoy the full moon and have a lovely evening…

From: Eva Kanellopoulos

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